Celebrating Wildlife Art & the Sporting Life

2018 Featured Artist and Painting Revealed

SEWE is excited to announce its Featured Artist and Featured Painting for the 2018 event, marking 36 years of excellence in wildlife art, conservation and the sporting life.

Kathryn Mapes Turner has been named the 2018 event’s Featured Artist. Her painting, Unbridled, has been selected as the Featured Painting and subject of the official SEWE 2018 poster.

The artwork of Turner has unfolded from the mountain valley of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As a daughter of the Northern Rockies, she was born and raised on the Triangle X Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. She grew up riding the trails of the valley, learning wilderness lore and gaining an eye for landscape. The happy synergy of a receptive spirit and a place of magnificent beauty set the course for her life.

“It is a deep honor to be selected to be the featured artist for this year’s Southeastern Wildlife Exposition,” said Turner. “Having been passionate about painting animals since I was a young girl, this is an unprecedented opportunity for me as an artist. My goal is to create work for the show that expresses my profound respect for the natural world and inspire the viewer to understand the interconnectedness we share.”

Unbridled depicts the wild horses that live in the wide-open spaces of the West.

“In the high desert plains of my native Wyoming, they live as mustangs, without domestication or fences,” said Turner. “Their range is as vast as the distant horizon line. In this image, I wanted to capture this wild freedom that is such a romantic notion in my own heart and one that expresses the spirit of the American West.”

With an ongoing focus to bring renowned wildlife and sporting art to Charleston, SEWE also welcomes Guest Artist Joseph Sulkowski. Sulkowski studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where he learned to prepare his paints using recipes developed in the studios of Rembrant. With work reflective of the Old Masters, Sulkowski will bring the rich sporting art painted from memories of his trips from South Georgia to the Scottish Highlands.

“The Featured Painting is a powerful image and sets an exciting tone for the complete body of work yet to come,” adds SEWE Executive Director John Powell. “We believe the subject and style of Unbridled is going to resonate with an even broader audience. Collectors and wildlife art enthusiasts will be on-hand in February to celebrate Kathryn and another extraordinary group of artists.”

Turner’s original painting will be available at auction during the VIP Preview Gala and Sale, February 15, 2018. The Official 2018 Poster will be available for purchase starting October 15.